The build-up of plaque is a leading cause of periodontal disease, which is a common affliction affecting many people. At the present time only regular brushing and flossing are consiered safe as preventative measures to excessive build-up of plaque. However, these measures are not totally effective for individuals who are very prone to plaque build-up. Even with this type of regular dental care, many individuals require periodic surgery and deep cleaning to avoid excessive build-up of plaque.
In the art, dentists resort to various abrasive cleaning techniques to physically remove plaque. These techniques augment the use of cleaners having abrasives therein which are rubbed against teeth by the dentist using a drilling tool equipped with a cleaning wheel.
Commercially available instruments for cleaning teeth are known which provide a pulsed water stream to remove particles from teeth in order to prevent decay. A burst of water can drive particles from the teeth but may implant particles into the gums, causing problems. A high pressure water stream without chemical additives (e.g. sodium bicarbonate) will not remove plaque efficiently and can cause other harm to gums. Also, this technique may loosen the gums from around the teeth due to the force of the water stream. If pockets are present in cases of periontitis, food particles can be driven into the pockets causing absesses, etc.
In the art, it is also known to apply ultrasonic energy in periodontics. Several types of equipment are available for this purpose including the Cavitron Model 660, the Ultrason 880, and the Sonic Scaler. Generally, all of these ultrasonic units are characterized by the use of a solid (metal) tip to which ultrasonic energy is applied. The vibrating metal tip is used to contact a tooth in order to remove plaque therefrom. Because of the heat build-up inherent in such an operation, rinsing water and cooling flows are normally used. The probe vibration frequency is typically 25 KHz. The apparatus usually consists of an ultrasonic generator which provides a current to a coil wrapped around a magnetostrictive transducer coupled to a vibrating tip. The electrical energy from the generator is applied to the transducer which in turn converts the electrical energy into vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted to the tip that is used to contact the teeth.
This type of ultrasonic dental tool can create a very uncomfortable feeling in the patient due to the high intensity vibrations that bear upon the teeth to be cleaned. Nerve pain can be caused along with heat, so water or a cooling liquid is required to prevent tooth burning. In some of this equipment, high pitched audible sounds are created.
Thus, while it is generally recognized that plaque buildup is harmful and that techniques involving ultrasound can be used to remove plaque, many disadvantages result. For example, vibrating tip devices cannot be used in the home. These are primarily dentists' tools which require a skilled operator so as not to cause tooth damage or damage to surrounding gums, etc. Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device and method for preventing excess plaque buildup, which device and method can be used by either a dentist or an individual at home.
All of the prior art techniques for removing plaque also involve some degree of discomfort. This is particularly noticeable with prior vibrating-tip devices and with the brute force of scaling or mechanical removal and abrasive particle applications. Thus, it is another object of the present invention to provide a tool and method for removal of plaque and for cleaning teeth which does not introduce discomfort due to mechanical scaling, vibration, or heat build-up.
In the prior art, there is also a device that utilizes a liquid jet which sprays dissolved sodium bicarbonate against the tooth to be cleaned. This device, due to the high pressure jet, acts somewhat similarly to a sand blaster and mechanically and chemically removes material from the teeth. A commercial device of this type is Prophy-Jet (Reg. trademark). A problem with using salt is that the solution can be easily swallowed during the cleaning operation, which means that the use of this technique should not be extended to persons having hypertension. Again, this device also cannot be used in the home. In addition, the device should not be used on sensitive teeth.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic device and method for cleaning teeth which does not require the use of any type of abrasive particles or a high pressure jet.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device and technique for improved cleaning of teeth, the device being sufficiently simple, safe and inexpensive that home use is possible.
It is another object of this invention to provide a device and technique for cleaning teeth which is neat and does not produce any bleeding during the cleaning operation.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved device and method for cleaning teeth and removing plaque therefrom which can provide such cleaning in hard-to-reach areas, such as those between adjacent teeth.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved device and technique for cleaning teeth and removing plaque which utilizes a gentle stream of a liquid such as water, there being no harm to teeth or gums during the practice of this invention.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device and technique for removing plaque and cleaning teeth, which can be conveniently adapted to home use by simply connecting the device to a water source, such as a faucet.